Protective or hazardous duty garments are used in a variety of industries and settings to protect the wearer from hazardous conditions such as heat, smoke, cold, sharp objects, chemicals, liquids, fumes and the like. Such protective or hazardous duty garments are often used in adverse conditions, such as high heat, exposure to smoke or chemicals and the like. In addition, the wearers of such garments are typically placed under physical strain by carrying heavy gear and equipment. Wearers seek to avoid fatigue to remain mentally sharp and physically ready to carry out tasks.
Protective garments are often constructed from sturdy and stiff materials to provide sufficient protection. However, the stiffness of these materials may prevent the garment from freely moving and flexing. In particular, many existing protective garments require a wearer to somewhat strain against the garment when the user desires to bend the garment (e.g., when the wearer bends an arm or leg). Accordingly, there is a need for a protective garment that can reduce stress upon the wearer.
In addition, protective garments are typically subjected to wear and tear that may reduce the useful life of the garments. Particularly, the joint area of a garment, such as the knee, elbow and shoulder regions of the garment may experience relatively high abrasions and loads.
In addition, certain areas (such as the joints) of the garment can be compressed, such as when a wearer crawls on his or her knees, rests on his or her elbows, or carries a load on his or her shoulders. When the garment is compressed in this manner, the heat protection of the garment may be reduced. Thus locating protective pads on the knee, elbow and shoulder areas may provide additional heat protection to the wearer and the garment.
However, existing protective pads may be made of relatively stiff material and thus may restrict movement of the wearer. Thus, the protective pads may restrict the wearer's ability to bend his or her joints, such as the knees, elbows or shoulders, where the pads are located.
Accordingly, there is a need for a protective garment that provides reinforcement to the joint regions of the garment while allowing relatively free movement.